Julian POV
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I woke up to a voice that was way too calm for seven in the morning.
"Good morning, Julian Morvain. Academy uniform has already been placed in your cupboard."
I stared at the ceiling.
"…You know," I said after a moment, "for something that lives inside my room, you're a little too polite."
"Politeness increases user comfort by 12.7%."
"Yeah, well, my comfort would increase if you had a name."
There was a short pause.
"This unit does not possess a designated name. However, the user may assign one."
A name, huh.
I sat up and rubbed my eyes, thinking.
In my original world, there was this Korean series—black-armored knight, loyal to the bone, silently intimidating. Cool. Reliable. Slightly overkill.
"…Igris," I said decisively.
Another pause.
"Designation accepted. Hello, Julian."
"Morning, Igris."
Okay. That already made today better.
I rolled out of bed and walked to the cupboard—only to freeze.
"…Ah."
My suitcase.
Still closed.
Right. I was so distracted yesterday by the dorm, the ranking, and the whole 'wow I'm actually here' moment that I never unpacked anything.
"Professional," I muttered to myself.
I shoved the suitcase into the cupboard like it belonged there all along and grabbed the academy uniform instead.
It was… simpler than I expected.
A clean white t-shirt.
A neatly pressed blue tie.
A red blazer with a golden border, the Gurukul Academy emblem stitched proudly on the chest pocket.
No unnecessary frills. No over-the-top noble nonsense.
"…Not bad," I said, examining myself in the mirror after putting it on. "I look like someone who might actually study."
That was probably the biggest lie I'd tell all day.
Once dressed, I headed out toward the assembly hall, following the flow of students. The corridors were alive now—voices overlapping, footsteps echoing, nervous laughter mixed with quiet confidence.
This was it.
The academy arc.
Inside the massive assembly room, I scanned the crowd and immediately spotted Daniel. Hard to miss, really. He was sitting there calmly, posture relaxed, expression neutral—like someone waiting for tea rather than an entrance ceremony that could define the next few years of his life.
I dropped into the seat beside him.
"Morning," I said.
He glanced at me, eyes flicking briefly to my uniform. "You're awake early."
"Barely," I replied. "Blame my AI. Too efficient."
"Hm." A pause. "Mine named itself Leo."
"…Of course it did."
We sat there quietly for a moment.
I looked around again.
Kevin Blackveil wasn't here. No surprise—he had the permanent expression of someone annoyed by existence itself. Probably decided ceremonies were beneath him.
Yelena Hallmark was also absent, which was even less surprising. If sleep were an Olympic sport, she'd have a world record.
"She'll show up eventually," I muttered. "Probably halfway through while yawning."
Daniel didn't disagree.
The murmurs in the hall grew louder as more students poured in—until suddenly, everything stopped.
Like someone had hit pause on the world.
Heels clicked against the floor.
Calm. Measured. Confident.
I didn't even need to turn around.
"…Ah," I sighed. "Here we go."
My dear sister stepped forward, standing in front of the floating microphone.
Alicia Morvain.
Student Council President.
Top-tier healer.
And the person who had perfected the art of looking gentle while being absolutely terrifying.
Her ash-blonde hair was neatly tied back, her academy uniform immaculate. She smiled—soft, composed, and just sharp enough to make the entire hall sit up straighter.
The effect was immediate.
Students who had been whispering snapped their mouths shut. Those slouching corrected their posture. Someone behind me audibly gulped.
Daniel leaned slightly toward me. "She has presence."
"That's one word for it," I muttered. "Another is 'fear'."
Alicia adjusted the microphone.
"Good morning," she said, her voice calm and clear, amplified perfectly across the hall. "Welcome to Gurukul Academy."
There it was.
The real beginning.
I leaned back in my seat, a small grin forming despite myself.
So this is how it starts.
The stage.
The geniuses.
The future disasters in human form.
And somewhere between it all—
Me.
Not as a background character.
Not as a forgotten name.
But as someone who would walk this story properly.
Whatever came next—
I was ready.
********
Hello everyone,
First of all, I'm really sorry for my longer-than-expected break. My exams came up, and I had to focus on them, which ended up extending my hiatus more than I planned. Thank you so much for your patience and for staying with Academy's Jester despite the silence — it truly means a lot to me.
Now that I will be back soon, I want to share something exciting.
From the beginning, I wanted this to be a reader-driven novel — a story that grows not just from my ideas, but from yours as well. I want Academy's Jester to feel alive, shaped by the community reading it.
📣 Reader Character Event (Ends: 20 March,2026)
To make this happen, I'm hosting a friendly competition!
You can submit up to 2 original characters that may appear in the novel.
You may send:
Hero characters
Side characters
Rival students
Villains 👀
📌 What to include
Please provide:
Name
Class
Trait
Origin (family/background)
Personality
Skills / abilities
Affinity (if any)
Optional: appearance details
You can be as creative as you want!
📍 How to participate
Post your character submissions in the chapter comment section.
I will select some of the most interesting and fitting entries and integrate them into the story.
This is my way of making the novel feel like our shared world, not just my project.
Thank you again for reading, supporting, and being part of this journey.
Let's build something amazing together